Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Today In History: Lidice.

On this date in 1942, German Einsatztruppen entered the Czech village of Lidice, rounded up all the men over the age of 16, and shot them down like dogs in a farm yard. The women and children were separated from each other and sent to concentration camps. Most of the children were gassed on their arrival at the Chelmno concentration camp on the orders of Adolf Eichmann. The women were worked to death at Ravensbruck. The village itself, which had stood since at least the 14th century, was razed. The German government meticulously recorded the massacre and announced it in official broadcasts.

Remember Lidice the next time someone gives you that tired "BusHitler" crap or natters on about how "America is just like Nazi Germany now".

Alas, the type of people who are inclined to make statements like "America is just like Nazi Germany now!" (you forgot the exclamation point, or to spell "America" with a k) aren't amenable to reason. They will simply cite alleged "war crimes" in Iraq or Afghanistan, ignoring the fact that any such claims are thoroughly investigated, and, if there are any indications that any such thing took place, prosecuted.

Most of your fellow countrymen would be hard pressed to find my country on a map, and yet at least some remember Lidice. And Ležáky...

As you will no doubt know, the razing of both willages was but a small part of huge reprisals that followed the successful assasination (execution, really.) of one R. Heydrich, may he burn in hell.More reading here.